Compliance – My TechDecisionshttps://mytechdecisions.com
The end user’s first and last stop for making technology decisionsWed, 21 Feb 2018 21:00:07 +0000en-UShourly1https://s3.amazonaws.com/techdecisions/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/21162010/cropped-TD-icon1-1-32x32.pngCompliance – My TechDecisionshttps://mytechdecisions.com
3232What Every Company Needs To Know About GDPRhttps://mytechdecisions.com/compliance/every-company-needs-know-gdpr/
https://mytechdecisions.com/compliance/every-company-needs-know-gdpr/#respondWed, 21 Feb 2018 15:00:58 +0000https://mytechdecisions.com/?p=10967Even though GDPR is being instituted by European Union countries, all companies conducting business there are affected, and could lose millions if compliance isn’t followed.

]]>According to CSO, companies that collect data on citizens in European Union (EU) countries will need to comply with new rules on protecting customer data by May 25, 2018. These rules, called the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), will set new standards for protecting consumers’ data.

The GDPR was adopted by European Parliament in April 2016, replacing data regulations instituted in 1995. GDPR “carries provisions that require businesses to protect the personal data and privacy of EU citizens for transactions that occur within EU member states. The GDPR also regulates the exportation of personal data outside the EU.”

The challenge with GDPR, CSO reports, is that its rules will leave “much to interpretation:” “It says that companies must provide a “reasonable” level of protection for personal data, for example, but does not define what constitutes ‘reasonable.’” This gives GDPR representatives plenty of leeway for assessing fines for breaches and noncompliance.

CSO says that fines for companies that are not compliant with GDPR can cost up to €20 million, or $24 million, or four percent of global annual turnover – whichever is higher. CSO also pointed to a report by Ovum stated that 52 percent of companies believe they will be fined for non-compliance.

The companies that will be affected by the GDPR include those with a presence in EU countries, companies that are located outside of the EU but that do business in it, has more than 250 employees, or has fewer than 250 employees but its data-processing impact individuals’ personal data. According to CSO, this “effectively means almost all companies.”

What decision makers need to know:

Even though the pressure to get a company compliant with GDPR by the May 25 deadline seems daunting, CSO outlines steps that can be made to speed up the process:

Increase compliance awareness with company leaders, and develop a sense of urgency

Involve all stakeholders – Decision makers might consider initiating a taskforce that “includes marketing, finance, sales, operations—any group within the organization that collects, analyzes, or otherwise makes use of customers’ [personal information].” CSO says that a task force can more effectively share information that can help with implementing necessary compliance procedures, and better prepare the company as a whole.

Conduct risk assessment, which includes exploring where all personal data is being stored within the company, and how; this even includes data stored on mobile devices. Missing any data increases the risk of noncompliance, CSO says.

Hire a data protection officer (DPO), or someone who works part time, or even a consultant (virtual DPO).

Create a data protection plan to mitigate risk, and report your compliance progress. This also includes testing incident response plans, and setting up ongoing assessment to ensure compliance consistency, and ongoing success for the business.

]]>https://mytechdecisions.com/compliance/every-company-needs-know-gdpr/feed/0SDVoE Alliance Adds New Members at ISE 2018https://mytechdecisions.com/compliance/sdvoe-alliance-adds-new-members-ise-2018/
https://mytechdecisions.com/compliance/sdvoe-alliance-adds-new-members-ise-2018/#respondTue, 13 Feb 2018 21:00:34 +0000https://mytechdecisions.com/?p=10948SDVoE Alliance members — including new Contributing Member Kramer and NK Systems as Adopting Member — will continue working together to deliver pro AV solutions designed for IT at ISE 2018 and throughout the year.

The alliance’s ISE 2018 stand “will focus on the advantages of converged AV and IT infrastructure, which can only be realized with 10G networking and SDVoE technology,” according to the press release. Visitors to the Kramer ISE stand [1-F20] will experience The New Age of Pro AV designed for IT, according to the announcement.

“We are thrilled to join the rapidly growing SDVoE Alliance,” said Raviv Kramer, deputy CEO at Kramer. “Kramer has always been committed to spearheading technological evolutions and the message carried by the alliance resonates well with our AV/IT strategic roadmap. We look forward to joining the other alliance members and helping drive the industry to this new and exciting age of IP.”

“Kramer has undergone an exciting transition in the past few years, from a respected manufacturer of AV products into a leading provider of end-to-end solutions that enable the convergence of AV and IT systems,” said Justin Kennington, president of the SDVoE Alliance. “What drove Kramer to this position are the same inevitable market forces that created the need for AV-over-IP standardization and lead to the SDVoE Alliance. Kramer and SDVoE are in perfect alignment, and we look forward to working with Kramer to upend the Pro AV signal management market as we build new leaders in the space.”

SDVoE technology “provides an end-to-end hardware and software platform for AV extension, switching, processing and control through advanced chipset technology, common control APIs and interoperability,” according to the alliance.

“We build HPC solutions for the entertainment and broadcast industries that rely on decentralized setup and employ hardware used by the latest data centres,” said Scholz. “That’s where SDVoE technology comes into play. Participating in the alliance is a natural fit for the future of our company.”

“We are proud to welcome the dynamic young team at NK Systems to the SDVoE Alliance,” said Kennington. “We look forward to their unique contribution to the ecosystem we are developing around SDVoE technology.”

]]>https://mytechdecisions.com/compliance/sdvoe-alliance-adds-new-members-ise-2018/feed/0Quiz: Are You Ready to Write a Technology RFP (Request for Proposal)?https://mytechdecisions.com/compliance/quiz-ready-write-technology-rfp-request-proposal/
https://mytechdecisions.com/compliance/quiz-ready-write-technology-rfp-request-proposal/#respondWed, 07 Feb 2018 10:00:52 +0000https://mytechdecisions.com/?p=11050When it comes to implementing a new AV, IT, or Security technology in your organization, the success of the project will be determined by the strength of your technology RFP (Request for Proposal). Are you ready to write it?

If you’re looking for surveillance, access control, and other campus safety technology, you’ll be reaching out to security installers.

If your technology had to do with cybersecurity, the network, or communications, you’ll need a Managed Services Provider (MSP) or a VAR (value-added reseller) – two different types of IT providers.

Keep in mind as well that any AV or Security project that will be connected to the network will need to be managed by your IT department – if you’re already using an IT provider you’ll need to clue them in as well.

When writing a technology RFP, there is a ton of information you need to include to get the technology that you want. Everything from the number of employees you have to the physical space of your organization to the people that will be responsible for different pieces of the project – and more. A good technology RFP will give the installer all of the information they need to design a unique system specifically for your office. It stands to reason that your technology RFP must be intensive, highly informational, and explain everything that you want out of the system.

You don’t need to be a technology expert to write a technology RFP, but you do need to be an expert on what you’re looking for out of the technology. Crafting a suitable technology RFP can be the difference between getting the project done on time, or finding out at the end that your needs weren’t met as they weren’t clearly communicated. Then you’re going back and fixing things – which costs you more of your time and more of your company’s money, not to mention the embarrassment of falling behind your deadline for implementation.

So before you start writing your technology RFP, make sure you have an understanding of what you need to put into it. Take our quiz below and find out if you’re ready to start writing your technology RFP, or if you need to do a bit more research before getting started.

P.S. Whether you think you’re ready or not, check out our Technology Manager’s Guide to Creating a Technology RFP. This 30+ page document was crafted from interviews with working integrators, installers, MSPs, and VARs. It gives you the information you need to write a technology RFP for 19 different technology topics across AV, IT, and Security. Whatever your technology need, this guide will help you craft the perfect RFP so your needs are met by your installer partner. Click here to get the document!

]]>Bitcoin has been in the news daily for the past month for a number of reasons. From its meteoric rise to almost $20,000 per Bitcoin, to its subsequent drop to less than $10,000 per Bitcoin less than a month later. From new investors flocking to the cryptocurrency to try to capitalize on the Bitcoin gold rush of the 21st century, to regulatory bodies in multiple governments taxing, regulating, or downright banning the cryptocurrency. Surrounded by much controversy and confusion, Bitcoin is as mainstream and coveted as jewelry at this point. And now it’s getting robbed just the same.

This past week in the UK, Thames Valley Police investigated an aggravated burglary which took place in Moulsford, Oxfordshire. According to The Daily Mail, armed intruders stormed a wealthy village home in the area and held a Bitcoin trader at gunpoint, forcing the man to transfer Bitcoin to them on his computer:

The heist – believed to be the first of its kind in Britain – comes as the virtual currency has soared in value to just under £8,000 for a single coin.

Four thugs in balaclavas broke into the house, which is owned by trader Danny Aston and his wife, Amy Jay.

They tied up Ms Jay and put the couple’s baby outside in a pram, before threatening Mr Aston with a gun and forcing him to transfer his Bitcoin into their control.

When news of the heist reached the community, schools went on lockdown, police were sent to the seen, and residents of the village are on high alert and worried that something like this could happen again.

At this point no arrests have been made. However, the heist raises concern that more thievery of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency could make its way out of the internet and into the streets. With such a coveted currency still in its infant stages, the potential for crime is high.

Still, police compare the theft of cryptocurrency to the theft of a rare painting – trying to exchange the stolen property will likely raise suspicion.

]]>Almo Professional A/V and the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association (AVIXA) have announced the dates and highlights for its 2018 E4 AV Tour program.

The CI BEST Award-winning traveling one-day E4 program – which stands for Educate, Exchange, Explore and Experience – takes place March 6 in Washington, D.C.; April 24 in Dallas; Sept. 21 in Boston and Oct. 26 in Nashville.

“In step with AVIXA, we’ve updated the final ‘E’ in E4 to ‘experience,’” says Almo VP of marketing Melody Craigmyle.

“Many of our AVIXA-accredited educational sessions and workshops are focusing on the integrated customer experiences that are possible through the use of AV technology.

“2018 is going to be an exceptional year for the E4 program with new opportunities for our partners to learn how to create these integrated AV experiences while advancing and profiting in this incredible industry,” she said in the joint press release.

In the announcement, AVIXA CEO David Labuskes says E4’s “emphasis on the power of audiovisual experiences is exactly in line with the direction of our industry. We look forward to working with the Almo Professional A/V team again this year as they build on the traveling E4 Tour and bring the experience portion into practical application for program attendees.”

Craigmyle noted that an end note speaker has been added to every E4 event this year and that Joe Theismann, Super Bowl champion quarterback, broadcaster, entrepreneur, corporate speaker and restauranteur, is wrapping up the first E4 in Washington, D.C. in March.

Additionally, the Oct. 26 event in Nashville includes an evening technology tour and cocktail reception.

“It will continue as a family-friendly weekend to be enjoyed by resellers and integrators throughout the country,” said Craigmyle.

Almo’s E4 AV Tour won a 2017 CI BEST award in the Training, Consulting, & Publications/Business Services category because of its easy ROI, non-stop networking opportunities and product variety.

]]>https://mytechdecisions.com/compliance/almo-professional-v-announces-2018-e4-av-tour-dates/feed/04 Rules Your Company Should Follow During a Digital Transformationhttps://mytechdecisions.com/compliance/4-rules-company-follow-digital-transformation/
https://mytechdecisions.com/compliance/4-rules-company-follow-digital-transformation/#respondWed, 24 Jan 2018 15:00:33 +0000https://mytechdecisions.com/?p=10644Fostering four types of ecosystems can boost a decision maker’s business while his or her company is going through digital transformation.

]]>According to ZDNet, which recently covered the Forrester webinar “Digital Rewrites The Rules of Business,” there are four main rules decision makers should consider when moving their business through a digital transformation. ZDNet says that these rules “will determine the success or failure of every company by 2020.”

Customer’s personal ecosystem – This consists of a customer’s unique collection of apps, which are located on their smart devices. “The apps they use most frequently are also the most capable of delivering an outcome of value,” ZDNet says.

Digital experience ecosystems – This helps companies deliver products and services that their customers demand. Fulfilling customers’ demands, ZDNet says, helps a company succeed, even if they have to rely on services and products from more than one company: “While each company may assume it plays a distinctive role for their customer, from the customer’s perspective value is created when they achieve the outcome they most desire.” ZDNet also says that as decision makers evolve their business into the digital realm, they need to consider markets outside of their business: “because the digital leader of those market will not only shape your customers’ expectations, they may well be competing with you very soon.”

Digital operation ecosystems – ZDNet says these increase operation agility in customer service. The digital components of businesses integrate with other companies in the market in order to create an operational ecosystem, with each company depending on each other for survival. “While the ultimate focus of this ecosystem is creating customer value, it’s more immediate effect is to drive operational agility in service of customers.”

In addition to these rules, ZDNet recommends that decision makers think of the digital transformation as more of a journey, rather than a destination. Developing this mindset can reap bigger rewards for the company, and insure its success in the future: “responding to rising customer expectations demands a state of continuous evolution. Each evolution of the experience must deliver a valuable outcome better. Done well, revenue follows.”

]]>https://mytechdecisions.com/compliance/4-rules-company-follow-digital-transformation/feed/0How to Be the Perfect Customer for IT Providershttps://mytechdecisions.com/compliance/how-to-be-the-perfect-customer-it/
https://mytechdecisions.com/compliance/how-to-be-the-perfect-customer-it/#commentsMon, 22 Jan 2018 10:00:24 +0000https://mytechdecisions.com/?p=10706We asked a working IT provider how he thinks the perfect customer should act and work with their IT provider partner throughout an install.

]]>Nearly every Managed Service Provider or IT Solutions Provider has honed their technical capabilities to support specific markets. They have certain industries they focus on whether it be medical, non-profits, local government, manufacturing or the many other industries that exist. MSPs that focus on a specific vertical market or industry will find it easier to gain new customers since they understand how those businesses work.

More importantly, they understand the problems and pain points and already have the know-how to improve their customer’s operational efficiencies.

Trust but Verify

A large part of MSPs new customers come from referrals by existing customers; because of this, there is an inherent level of trust. This is a great foundation for a good customer relationship. We hope that the trust relationship improves over time so the customer can focus on their business and trust that we are taking care of their technology. They will understand that they are hiring experts in their field and will take their recommendations based on industry best-practices. The best customer is one that focuses on results and does enough evaluation to build trust with their IT provider and then leave it to them to manage their technology while the customer runs their business. Customers that don’t trust their MSP simply won’t get the true benefit of the MSPs experience and knowledge because the MSP will be less likely to make recommendations if they feel the customer isn’t going to accept them.

Be Pro-Active

As an MSP, we are pro-active by nature and our goals are aligned with our customers goals which is to have their network and technology run smoothly. We do our best to achieve that goal because when the customer has a problem it costs us money in the form of labor. The more time we spend working on a customer’s network each month – the less profit we make. As a customer, it is important to be pro-active as well and take those quarterly meetings to discuss your technology and projects so that your company continues to run smoothly.

Standardization = Great Support

MSPs can scale and provide great support because they standardize across their customer base. As a customer, you need to let them. Forcing an MSP to use your existing firewall, anti-virus software or backup and disaster recovery appliance to save a few dollars up front will most likely cost you much more in the end. If you have an issue, especially when it comes to recovering your critical business data, you want the MSPs staff to be fully trained and experienced on the products running your business. It is impractical for any MSP to train their staff on all vendors and you shouldn’t want them to either.

Be Willing to Let Go

Great customers wanting to outsource their IT management and support to an MSP, let go of that responsibility. Customers should not try to have an MSP support only a portion of their technology. Customers should really want ‘one throat to choke’ when something happens. If you have multiple vendors or possibly a niece or nephew that ‘knows computers’ and want to have them handle some of the easier technical work – don’t. You will generally end up paying more to have the MSP fix the problems created by them. That’s not to say we don’t want an interested customer, as we want them to have a willingness to attend quarterly business review meetings to discuss their business goals and technology-related issues.

The perfect customer perceives technology as a critical component to improving their business profitability and efficiency. They consider the financial investment as just that, an investment, rather than simply a cost. They are value-driven and not least-cost driven and will perform their due-diligence to find an IT provider that can best support them and understand there is an investment associated with that.

]]>https://mytechdecisions.com/compliance/how-to-be-the-perfect-customer-it/feed/1TIDE to Debut at ISE 2018https://mytechdecisions.com/compliance/tide-debut-ise-2018/
https://mytechdecisions.com/compliance/tide-debut-ise-2018/#respondThu, 18 Jan 2018 17:00:47 +0000https://mytechdecisions.com/?p=10629TIDE will make ISE 2018 debut in Amsterdam in February, then head to Las Vegas for InfoComm 2018 and might become staple of other worldwide AVIXA events.

]]>Perhaps it’s just coincidence that the “thought leadership conference” that debuted at InfoComm 2017 bears the acronym TIDE and that the event has served to truly elevate the conversations about the industry and how myriad people can live within it. But probably not.

TIDE—which stands for Technology, Innovation, Design, Experience—debuted last June and will make its international debut at Integrated Systems Europe in Amsterdam in February before returning to InfoComm 2018 in June, when the show heads to Las Vegas.

The conference became a popular addition to InfoComm 2018 and AVIXA senior VP of marketing and communications Dan Goldstein expects it to again be one of the must-see attractions during ISE 2018.

“When we came up with the idea for TIDE, we saw it as a way to give the broader contexts, both for InfoComm and ISE,” he says.

“Even though we started it at InfoComm 2017, it may be a more obvious fit in Amsterdam.

“The audience for ISE 2018 has more of a design background traditionally, while there are more people with an engineering background who come to InfoComm,” says Goldstein.

TIDE at InfoComm 2017 used a storytelling theme, while the ISE 2018 offering will focus on design thinking for business and feature an optional design thinking workshop.

“It’s about having design at the core of what we do, thinking about design first,” says Goldstein.

In Las Vegas at InfoComm 2018 in June, TIDE will focus on human-centered design.

TIDE at ISE 2018 will feature keynote speaker Daan Roosegaarde, a Dutch artist and innovator who develops projects that explore the relationship between people, technology and space.

His designs include Smart Highway (roads that charge from sunlight and glow at night), Waterlicht (a virtual flood), and Smog Free Project (the largest outdoor air purifier in the world that makes jewelry from smog).

“Most of the [TIDE] speakers at ISE are European so it has that sort of flavor to it,” says Goldstein.

While TIDE will be restricted to InfoComm and ISE for now, Goldstein sees potential for it to be added to other AVIXA events on the annual calendar in the future.

The addition of TIDE to AVIXA’s offerings ties back to the broad strategy that led InfoComm International to change its name last fall.

“We’ve always had a strong reputation for technical training, but we recognized that a lot of the knowledge that used to be ‘secret’ is easier for people to do now.”

“It was very complex but now it’s much simpler to deploy and manage,” says Goldstein.

“With TIDE, we’re focusing more on the experience than the deployment and technical aspects. We’re trying to provide a place where people can see themselves that’s not overly technical.”

]]>In the early 2000’s, the Nokia 1110 was the most popular cell phone on the planet. It was a great, functional phone at the time, but within a few years, it was obsolete. If you forced your users to work with that phone today, you would have a mass rebellion. So why do organizations still use legacy technology from the same decade for document capture and automation?

The answer: Many are not. Progressive organizations are quickly moving to modern, newly designed technology, and reaping great benefits. For organizations looking to capitalize on the enhanced efficiency and productivity modern intelligent capture can provide, here are some trends within the broader capture and document analytics market.

The Browser is the UI of Choice. As organizations look to refresh their capture technology and migrate to modern platforms, the thick client is going the way of the Dodo. Web-enabled applications provide simple access through any of the major browsers, ease the burden on IT staff from a deployment and management perspective and allow an easy transition to the cloud. Providing both end-user and administrator access through a web app, also allows for broad reaching distributed capture solutions, a must in today’s global, connected Enterprise.

RESTful Web Service APIs are now King (and Queen). As organizations drive for maximum efficiency and productivity, capture-enabled line of business systems are the weapon of choice. From the ERP solution that auto-classifies a document on upload, to the workflow app that uses data extraction to make branching decisions, “transparent” capture that just happens, offers a seamless way to leverage the power of document automation. In addition, two types of APIs are on the street:

Macro-services – APIs that perform multiple tasks provide efficiency in code, and allow single calls to process from start to finish. These all in one services will classify, extract data and return a searchable PDF, and in one swoop.

Micro-services – having an expansive toolkit available, through web services, provides an all-encompassing document-centric platform. This platform can service end users through the browser, provide broad-reaching macro functionality where needed, but also provide niche solutions. Examples might include the ability to convert an image to searchable PDF or read a barcode from a photo.

True Cloud is necessary – being cloud-ready means quite a bit more than just running a VM with software in the cloud. A platform that is built from the ground up to take advantage of the key benefits of the cloud:

Automatic Scale-up/Scale-down

Native Web Browser support

Cluster-awareness

Support for Cloud DB architectures

Core-based licensing

Having a structured, tiered offering that can support all types of organizations and usage scenarios is also key.

Open, modular architectures. Just like the fat client, the locked down, proprietary architecture of the past is over and done. CIOs are demanding open interfaces in all their apps for ease of integration, and standard software languages for extending functionality. Modularity with an open “plugin” type architecture allows administrators and developers to only use what they need, when they need it.

Machine learning provides the ultimate in efficiency. Basic pattern matching and templates are long gone, and have outlived their useful days. OCR and provided text are now just input for the intelligent, learning application. The emphasis is now on automated learning, not only during configuration, but also supervised learning provided by the end user/knowledge worker. The system gets smarter as you use it, always working towards zero end user interaction.

Companion analytics. There is so much information that is buried within an organization’s document content. Providing that content in an “analytics ready” state optimizes processing, and provides ready access to “dark” data. Today’s modern capture platforms can feed the big data beast, and provide powerful, once hidden information to those that can benefit in the organization.

The last two points are the future of the market, and forward-looking companies are focusing on vendors that provide a vision and path to take full advantage of the unstructured information that lies within document content.

Stephen Boals is the Business Development Director at Ephesoft, Inc. Ephesoft delivers intelligent document capture platforms that liberate meaning through machine learning. Ephesoft classifies documents and extracts the valuable information that they contain, accelerating purchases, invoices, mortgage approvals, insurance claims and other important transactions.

]]>https://mytechdecisions.com/compliance/6-trends-intelligent-document-capture/feed/019 Commercial Technology Needs for Your Office and Organizationhttps://mytechdecisions.com/compliance/commercial-technology-office-organization/
https://mytechdecisions.com/compliance/commercial-technology-office-organization/#commentsWed, 17 Jan 2018 10:00:55 +0000https://mytechdecisions.com/?p=10635When it comes to outfitting your office or organization with the right technology, first you need to understand your needs. Let us help you figure them out.

]]>As a technology manager or end user it’s tough to decide what type of technology we need for our organization. There’s just so much out there, and when it comes to large projects with high costs we don’t want to buy a system that will just sit and gather dust in the office. It can be a scary proposition to put your reputation on the line and convince key stakeholders to purchase a commercial technology solution. It could also earn you a huge raise or even a promotion if done right.

There’s risk/reward in any monetary endeavor you pitch to your company. When it comes to technology, the nice thing is that with enough research and a good installation problem you can mitigate the risk and boost the reward. All you have to do is understand the technology needs of your office, speak to the employees that will use the system, and reach out to an installer with the exact needs that you’re looking to fill.

We’ll help you get started. My TechDecisions has created a comprehensive program on every type of technology you could think of installing in your office. We spoke to working AV integrators, IT providers, and Security installers to get the inside scoop on how these technologies can help your organization. From digital signage, to IT hardware, to surveillance systems and more, check out our slideshow to get ideas of how you can improve your office or organization with commercial technology solutions.

When you’ve made your decision, we can help with that process too. Download The Technology Manager’s Guide to Creating a Technology RFP to get information straight from installers on creating a technology request for proposal that will get you the right solution with the least amount of hassle. Save yourself time and money by preparing and understand the installation process before you reach out to installer partners.

Check out the slideshow and get some ideas, then download our resources to get all of the information you need for a successful project. You’ll be the most popular person in the office – and get the recognition from the higher-ups – when you help implement technology that takes your office from behind the times to cutting edge.